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Mānoa Arts & Minds

Aloha! This summer, there's some hot stuff going on at campus, thanks to Mānoa Arts & Minds. Why not take a vacation from the day-to-day routine, and return to campus for the best that the Departments of Art & Art History, Music, Theatre & Dance, and Outreach College have to offer?

Take a look at these wonderful opportunities to get away from it all, for a few hours anyway, and all without even getting on an airplane.

Music credit: Warm aloha to Hawaiian slack key guitarist Ozzie Kotani for the music heard in the Mānoa Arts & Minds announcements. Ozzie is an alumni and former music instructor at UH Mānoa, and “Ka Ua Noe” (The Misty Rain) is from his 2009 CD titled “Hōʻihi” (Respect).

June 4, 7:30 p.m.
Orvis Auditorium

Miyako Itchu XII demonstrates the classical art of Itchu Bushi, a simple and pure musical tradition that blends the beauty of the shamisen with the allure of jooruri (narrative singing).

Program includes:

Demonstration and Lecture – An introduction to Itchu Bushi and demonstration of playing techniques, instrumentation and unique musical patterns. Plus, information on the history and evolution of this musical form in relation to Japanese history.

Matsu no Hagoromo (The Feathered Cloak) – An excerpt of the Noh play, Hagoromo, which tells the story of a beautiful feathered cloak found by a fisherman on the shores of Miho.

Koharu Kamiyui no Dan (Koharu and the Hairdresser) – An excerpt about Jihei, a paper seller who is in love with a courtesan and wants to commit love suicide with her, but is held back by the efforts of his wife.

Shakkyoo (The Stone Bridge) – An excerpt about the a priest who is confronted by shishi (lionlike spirits) as he attempts to cross the stone bridge leading to the paradise of the Buddhist deity Monju.

June 12, 7:30 p.m.
Kennedy Theatre

Faustwork Mask Theatre is committed to exploring and celebrating the art of the Mask, to challenging and delighting audiences of all ages with a unique synthesis of theatre, physical comedy, music, dance and poetry. Since 1983, the company has appeared worldwide at a variety of venues, including The Sydney Opera House in Australia, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Founder and artistic director Robert Faust has also performed and choreographed with Pilobolus Dance Theater, Martha Clarke, Jules Feiffer, and the Paul Winter Consort.

The Mask Messenger is a series of vignettes ranging from comic to bizarre to poignant. The set consists of an impressive collection of masks, created by Mr. Faust and the company, exhibited center stage. After a brief and informative mock-lecture about the myriad uses of masks in cultures throughout the world, the performer begins to demonstrate the power of transformation by removing the masks from the wall, and bringing to life a variety of characters.

A tour de force of comic and technical genius capturing the essence of humans in all of their guises. Robert Faust “tickles some sort of primal funny bone… hilariously hyperbolic…” — The New York Times

Sunday, June 13 & 27, July 11 & 18, 3:00 p.m.
Art Auditorium

The award-winning fourth annual University of Hawaiʻi KIDS FIRST! Film Festival returns with four summer Sundays of free family films! This year's screenings — suitable for children ranging in age from 2 to tweens — include green themes, animations adapted from beloved children’s literature, plus stories about kids and pets from around the world.

KIDS FIRST!, a project of the Coalition for Quality Children’s Media, is the largest traveling children’s film festival in the world. Curated locally by UH Mānoa’s Outreach College, KIDS FIRST! films are free of gratuitous violence; race, gender, or religious bias; inappropriate content; and condescension towards children. Age-appropriate groupings of films entertain through a balance of animation and live action, plus varied themes from different cultures. To add to the festivities, door prizes are awarded at all screenings. Parents, grandparents, friends and neighborhood kids — everyone can enjoy the Festival because it’s juried by kids, parents, teachers, and child advocates nationwide to qualify for the Festival. And, best of all, it’s FREE!

June 13, Ages 5–10: Surf’s Up!
Features a short animation on the perils plastic poses in our oceans plus a feature with Barbie as a champion surfer who sets out to save the ocean kingdom.

June 27, Ages 3–8: Animated Shorts: Storybook and Song
Award-winning animated short films bring outstanding children’s picture books to life. The best in children’s literature is rendered by esteemed authors, illustrators and musicians, with narration by well-known actors.